Pain in Amplification
by Eternal Soldier
Summary: Sequel to A Secret Love, 3rd in Reid/Morgan SLASH series. Two months later, and Reid and Morgan are happy as ever with the team's support. But when an UnSub releases a deadly virus and one of them becomes infected, could illness and death tear them apart?


**A/N: Okay guys, here it is: number 3 in my Reid/Morgan SLASH series, and the sequel to _A Secret Love_! This is based on the season 4 episode _Amplification_, but what would've happened if Reid and Morgan were together at the time- their feelings and emotions about Reid possibly dying. There is already a sequel to this one in the works, too :P So keep an eye out for that!**

**Warning: Spoilers for 4x24 Amplification. This is SLASH, so if you don't like it, why are you reading it? :P But on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of its characters.**

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><p>It had been two months since Milwaukee. Two months since they'd shared a hotel room, since they'd first slept in each other's arms, since they'd consummated their relationship. And since then, Spencer Reid and Derek Morgan were the happiest they'd ever been.<p>

There had rarely been a night since then that the two of them hadn't spent together, whether it was just spending time alone with each other or actually having sex. Reid and Morgan could barely stand to be apart when they didn't have to be.

When not on a case they'd taken to spending the night at each other's houses- sometimes Reid's, sometimes Morgan's, depending on their mood. They would still drive home from work separately, and stop at the other one's house before arriving at work in their own cars. The only reason they didn't drive into work together was so they could keep up appearances for the FBI. The rest of the team knew about their relationship by now, anyway. All of them had promised to keep it quiet, although Hotch had warned them of the ramifications.

Reid and Morgan arrived at work at the same time as Prentiss that morning, and she smiled broadly when she saw them. "Morning, boys!" she said brightly. "You have a good night last night?"

"Oh you know we did, Prentiss," Morgan replied, winking at Reid.

"I could tell," she said. "You've got that 'after-sex glow' about you."

Reid looked quickly from Prentiss to Morgan, and then busied himself with his messenger bag, turning away from the two of them to try and hide the red colouring creeping into his cheeks. Both Prentiss and Morgan laughed at him. "Come on, kid," said Morgan. "They all know that's what we were doing. They know what we do when we go home at night."

"Yeah, I know," Reid agreed. "But that's not all we do. There's more to our relationship than that, Derek."

Morgan reached out and put a hand on Reid's arm, and the younger man turned to face him. Morgan gave him an incredibly tender look that both amazed and warmed Prentiss. "You know you're right, Spencer, and you know I know that too," he whispered. "That's not the only reason I'm with you. Although the sex is great," he added, causing Prentiss to gag. "I love you. I love everything about you, from your body right to that big ol' brain of yours."

Reid smiled at that, and the two gave each other such loving looks that Prentiss had to step in.

"Guys, we're in the middle of the Bureau parking lot," she pointed out. "You might want to stop with the lovey-dovey scene you've got going there."

Morgan and Reid looked away from each other, embarrassed, but luckily no one else had seen them. They started walking towards the building, Morgan and Reid deliberately letting Prentiss walk in between in between them. They'd almost slipped up once already; they couldn't afford to again.

"Hey, Prentiss," Morgan said as the lift doors slid shut, "don't look for a sec." He reached over and pulled Reid close to him, earning a squeak of surprise from the genius as their lips met. Prentiss of course had not listened to Morgan, and watched with fascination as Reid instantly responded, wrapping his arms around the older man's neck and kissing him back.

"Do you do this every day?" Prentiss asked.

Morgan broke apart from Reid. "Every single day," he said before plunging straight back in.

"Then why did Reid act so surprised when you kissed him?" said Prentiss.

"Because I wasn't expecting him to kiss me while you're here, Prentiss," Reid admitted.

Prentiss laughed. "I'm curious. How do you do this every morning without getting caught?"

"Spencer knows the exact time the lift takes between each floor," Morgan explained.

"Speaking of, Derek," said Reid, struggling to extricate himself from Morgan's arms, "we have six seconds."

Morgan gave Reid one last kiss before pulling away, both men straightening themselves up as their minds switched into work mode.

"Case must be local," Reid said. "JJ said not to bring a go bag."

The lift doors opened and the three agents stepped out, but stopped almost instantly. The bullpen was packed with men and women dressed in camouflage gear, moving about with a sense of urgency.

"What's the army doing here?" Morgan asked.

"What the hell is going on?" Prentiss demanded.

The three of them walked through the bullpen to the meeting room, where JJ was waiting for them with a woman they had never met before. She was shaking pills out of a bottle into small cups, while JJ was filling Styrofoam cups with water.

"Guys, this is Dr. Linda Kimura," JJ announced. "Chief of Special Pathogens at the CDC." As JJ was making her introduction and they said their hellos, Hotch and Rossi walked into the room.

"We need to get started," said Hotch. He had a serious look on his face, even more so than he usually did. Morgan, Reid and Prentiss could all sense the gravity of the situation. Reid especially so, the man was 20% more serious that he usually was on a case: his eyebrows slightly more furrowed and his lips thinner than usual, and considering he was always serious for a case, this one must be important.

"Last night, 25 people checked into emergency room in and around Annapolis," JJ began, as Morgan, Reid and Prentiss picked up their copy of the case file and began examining it. "They were all at the same park after 2:00pm yesterday. Within ten hours the first victim died. It's now just past 7:00am the next day. We have twelve dead."

"Lung failure and black lesions," said Morgan, looking at a photo of one of the victims. "Anthrax?"

"Anthrax doesn't kill this fast," Reid pointed out, he too looking down at the photos.

"This strain does," said Dr Kimura. The team all looked up at her, both shocked and worried.

"What are we doing about potential mass targets?" Prentiss asked. Airports, malls, trains?"

"There's a media blackout," Hotch announced.

Prentiss turned to look at her boss, clearly stunned. "We're not telling the public?" she gasped.

"We'd have a mass exodus," said Morgan.

"The psychology of group panic would cause more deaths than this last attack," Rossi added.

"Yeah, and if it does get out, whoever did this might go underground or destroy their samples," Reid pointed out, turning to look at Prentiss briefly.

"Or if they wanted attention and didn't get it, they might attack again," Prentiss said fiercely, clearly not swayed to the others' point of view. "Doesn't the public have a right to know that?"

"If there's another attack, there's no way we'll be able to keep it quiet," said Hotch. "Our best chance at protecting the public is by building a profile as quickly as we can."

"What do we know about this strain?" Reid asked.

"The spores are weaponised, reduced to a respiral ideal that attacks deep in the lungs," Dr Kimura explained. "Odourless and invisible."

"A sophisticated strain," Rossi surmised. "Only a scientist would know how to do that."

"These lesions are doubling in size in a matter of hours," said Morgan, eyebrows raised.

"It's not the lesions I'm worried about. It's the lungs," Kimura admitted. "We don't know how to combat the toxins once they're inside. And the reality is, we may lose them all."

"The remaining survivors have been moved to a special wing at Walter Reed Hospital," JJ continued. "Our officers will become a small command centre."

"We'll be working with military scientists from Fort Detrick," Hotch announced, his expression slightly troubled.

"General Whitworth is coming here?" said Rossi, surprised.

"He's in charge of site containment and spore analysis," Hotch explained. "Determining what strain this is will help inform who's responsible."

"My team is in charge of treating all victims," Dr Kimura announced.

"Reid, go with Dr Kimura to the hospital, interview the victims," said Hotch. "Morgan and Prentiss, there's a HAZMAT team that will accompany you to the crime scene. There's Cipro. Everybody needs to take it before we go."

Dr Kimura picked up the tray with the cups of pills on it, and each member of the team took one of the cups. "We don't know if it's effective against this strain, but it's something."

"This is really happening?" said Prentiss.

"We knew this could happen," said Hotch. "We've done our homework. We've prepared for this. This is it."

"_Cent'anni_," said Rossi as each team member swallowed their pills. "May you live a hundred years."

* * *

><p>Reid walked down the hallway in the FBI building, towards JJ's office. He was prepared and ready to go to the hospital with Dr. Kimura to see the victims. He just needed one more thing.<p>

"Do you have those files I've been looking for?" he asked, walking into JJ's open office.

"Did you see this memo from the Director?" said JJ as she pointed at her computer screen, completely ignoring Reid's words. Reid came further into the room, looking over JJ's desk at her computer. "Office phones and emails are being monitored."

"Yeah, they're trying to protect the media blackout," Reid replied matter-of-factly. "Files?"

"Uh, yeah. Right here," said JJ absently, indicating a pile on her desk. She was still distracted, focusing on her computer screen rather than at Reid.

"Thanks," said Reid. "I wanna see what kind of medical treatment the victims received before I head to the hospital." He began searching through the files, looking for a particular one.

"Why do you think the suspect in 2001 stopped sending the letters?" JJ asked suddenly.

"I have no idea," Reid replied, finding the file he'd been looking for and opening it. "But if he hadn't, it would've been much worse."

"Worse part was not knowing when it was going to be over," said JJ, rubbing her forehead.

"Yeah, five people died, many more exposed and sickened including a baby who was admitted to the hospital after lesions appeared on his skin," Reid read from the file.

JJ's expression became panicked. "How did he contract it?"

"I have no idea," Reid admitted, still perusing the file. "Must've come into close contact with a tainted letter or crossed paths with the UnSub himself."

"How old was the baby?" said JJ, fear filling her.

"Seven months," said Reid.

"Did he survive?"

"I've gotta go, Kimura's waiting," said Reid, ignoring JJ's question. "I'll call you from the hospital." Reid began to back out of JJ's office, file in hand.

"Spence!" JJ cried. Reid stopped just outside the doorway and turned back to face JJ. "Please, Spence, I gotta know… did the baby survive?"

"Yeah," Reid replied. "But that was a curable strain. This thing's entirely different."

JJ let out a deep breath, her head in her hands. "Spence, I am so, so scared. All I can think about are Henry, and Will, and whether they're gonna be safe, and I wanna call them, but because of this memo from the Director I can't, and I-"

"JJ, stop, please," said Reid, cutting off JJ's rambling. "It's fine to worry about them, but they're going to be okay."

"How do you know that?" JJ demanded. "Even you can't predict the future."

Reid sighed. "Yeah, I know. But we're going to stop this guy, before he can infect anyone else."

"You can't know that for sure," JJ persisted.

"No, I can't know that," Reid agreed. "But it's what I believe. What I _have_ to believe, to keep myself going." When JJ looked at him, confused, Reid came back into the room and put a hand on top of hers. "To tell you the truth, Jayje, I'm just as scared as you are," Reid admitted. "I'm afraid that because we're investigating this case, one of us might get infected. I'm afraid that Derek-" Reid's voice caught in his throat and he stopped speaking, unable to voice his greatest fear. It didn't matter, though; JJ understood. She squeezed Reid's hand and gave him a small smile.

"I guess I'm kinda lucky, though," Reid continued. "Everyone I really care about already knows about the anthrax. Well, except for my mother, and she's in Vegas anyway. So I can't say I know exactly how you feel, Jayje- the one person who I would warn about the anthrax already knows. But I think if I was in your position, I would want to call them too."

JJ smiled at Reid again. "Thanks, Spence. I understand what you mean. I guess the best we can do is just catch this guy, huh?"

"Yeah," said Reid, unsure of what to say. "I'll call you from the hospital."

Reid left JJ's office and headed back down the hallway, his worries now brought to the front of his mind. As soon as he'd heard about the anthrax attacks, had seen the photos of the victims, had heard how quickly and painfully the victims had died and were dying, his mind had instantly been filled with thoughts of Morgan. If Morgan had been infected, if Morgan died… Reid didn't know what he would do.

Reid had only said the briefest of goodbyes to Morgan before he'd left for the crime scene with Prentiss. They couldn't show each other any real affection in the office, especially since it was filled with army personnel. They'd just said a regular goodbye, but the look Morgan and Reid had shared said it all: _be safe_.

Reid joined Dr Kimura at the elevator door, and the two of them road down to the ground floor and climbed into Kimura's car. Reid was silent the entire car ride; he was both reading the case file to take it all in, and dwelling on thoughts of Morgan. He couldn't imagine what he would do if Morgan became infected by anthrax- he didn't want to imagine it. He tried to focus on the information in front of him, but every word brought images of Morgan to the surface. Dr Kimura kept silent, sensing that this was a bad time.

The two of them arrived at the hospital, and the doctor led Reid down the corridor to the room of one of the victims: a young, blonde woman named Abby. The girl was lying on the bed, her face flushed, her lips purple and her eyes half-closed. She looked incredibly weak, she barely had the strength to even stay awake.

"Hi, Abby," said Dr Kimura. "You feeling any better?" Abby shook her head very slightly from side to side. "Okay. This is Agent Reid from the FBI. If you can, will you talk with him?" Abby inclined her head ever so slightly, and Reid stepped forward.

"Abby, I'd like to try to do a memory recall exercise with you to take you back to the park, if that's okay?" said Reid in a gentle voice. Abby nodded, staring at Reid. "I need you to close your eyes." When Abby had done as Reid asked, he continued, "Yesterday afternoon, you rode your bicycle to the park. How did the sun feel on your skin? The breeze through your hair? Can you describe for me what you heard, and the people that you saw?"

"It was warm. Windy," answered Abby in a broken, hoarse voice. "There were guys. Football. Kids. I see free. Me seen fee me." Reid's eyes grew wide as he watched Abby, who was now panic-stricken. "Free knee sin knee."

"Alright, Abby. It's okay," said Dr Kimura soothingly, trying to calm Abby down. "You just rest now, okay?"

"Mean pock a fee key me free?" said Abby, her words full of fear but complete nonsense. Dr Kimura shushed Abby and thanked her. As Kimura and Reid left the room, Abby watched them go with a look of extreme panic.

"What's causing her aphasia?" Reid asked once they'd gotten outside Abby's hospital room.

"The poison is infecting the parietal lobe, infecting her speech," Kimura explained. "Some of the other patients displayed the same symptoms- shortly before they died."

"None of the drug combinations are working?" said Reid, feeling slightly panicked.

"The only thing that's helping them right now is the morphine," Kimura admitted.

Dr Kimura began walking away and Reid followed her, feeling worried as well as slightly guilty. Abby was dying painfully, and unless found a cure soon they wouldn't be able to save her. And if they didn't stop the UnSub, he was surely going to claim more victims. What if the next time, he got Morgan? What if Morgan-

No. Reid couldn't think like that. Nothing was going to happen to Morgan. He wasn't going to get infected. Morgan was going to be _fine_. If he kept dwelling on his worries for Morgan's life, he wouldn't be focused on the case and they would never catch the UnSub. He had to keep his mind on the case- if not for his own sake, than for everyone else's.

"Are you okay?" Dr Kimura asked suddenly, snapping Reid out of his reverie.

"I- uh, yeah, I'm fine," Reid stammered.

"Are you sure?" said Kimura. "You seem a bit- out of it."

"Yeah, I'm sure," said Reid. "I'm just worried, that's all. Scared. I think I've got my emotions in check, but I guess you never know how you're going to react until the case is right in front of you."

"Have you got someone special you're worried about?" Kimura guessed.

Reid hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded. He didn't have to tell Kimura exactly whose life he feared for- he didn't know her well enough, and he didn't know whether he could trust her not to spill the secret. "I'm- I'm just worried that if we don't stop the UnSub quickly enough, he'll launch another attack, and then the person I love, they'll-" Reid's voice caught in his throat, like it had when he'd been talking to JJ.

"I understand," said Kimura, giving Reid a small smile. "I have a husband at home, and I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him."

Reid smiled back at Kimura. "I guess we'll just have to stop this one quickly, huh?"

* * *

><p>While Reid and Dr Kimura were at the hospital talking to Abby, Morgan and Prentiss had arrived at the park- their crime scene. The HAZMAT team leader had just told them that the park had been neutralised, so they were free to investigate the area.<p>

"Okay, check it out. High levels tested over there," said Morgan, pointed to the top of an incline.

"That's probably where the UnSub released the attack," Prentiss surmised.

"And there was a prevailing wind out of the northeast yesterday," Morgan continued. "Airborne spores scattered that way, hitting everyone below him."

"Yeah, this park doesn't scream _target_ to me," Prentiss admitted.

"Terrorists usually target symbols. The White House, Pentagon, World Trade Centre," said Morgan. "I mean, it's a nice park, but it's not a symbol."

"Okay, so maybe it's symbolic for the UnSub," said Prentiss.

"Well, we know Kaczynski sent bombs to Berkeley where he taught, Michigan where he went to school, and Chicago where he lived," said Morgan.

"And the Amerithax suspect sent letters to two pro-choice senators whose politics he opposed," Prentiss finished.

"They can't help attaching a personal motive to the places that they've targeted," said Morgan.

"Okay, so what does this place mean to our UnSub?" Prentiss asked. Morgan had no answer; he didn't know, and he wouldn't know until they had more pieces of the profile.

Prentiss watched Morgan look around the park with his usual nonchalant air. "Aren't you worried?" she asked.

Morgan looked at Prentiss, confused. "Worried? About what?" he said.

"That the UnSub could launch another attack," Prentiss replied. "That someone you know could become infected. Someone you _love_." Morgan didn't need to ask who Prentiss meant; he knew.

"I'm not worried," said Morgan honestly. "I don't need to be. Reid is at the hospital with Dr Kimura. Even if the UnSub tried to target the place, there's no way he'd be able to get in."

"Yes, but what if Reid has to leave the hospital?" Prentiss pressed. "He could still get infected, Morgan." She almost added _he could die_, but she knew she didn't need to. Morgan knew where she was going with this.

"Reid isn't going to get infected, Prentiss," said Morgan forcefully. "Like I said, I'm not worried, because I don't need to be. The likelihood of the UnSub targeting Reid's location is extremely small. Reid would probably know the exact number," Morgan laughed.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Prentiss, drop it, okay?" Morgan growled.

Prentiss couldn't drop it, though; it wasn't something she would do. "He's worried about you, you know," she informed Morgan.

Morgan looked at her again, shocked. "What? How do you know?"

"I could tell by the look in his eyes, when we were told it was anthrax. Even more so, when Hotch told us to go to the crime scene," Prentiss explained. "But he also told JJ, who told me. She said that because we're the ones investigating the case, Reid is so scared that you're gonna get infected."

Morgan's expression softened. "I had no idea the kid was so worried," he admitted.

"Can you blame him, though?" said Prentiss. "He's hardly had anyone he's been close to in his life, and those he has been close to have left him. First his father, and then Gideon, and his mother is schizophrenic. You are everything to him, Morgan. If he lost you like this, I don't think even _he_ knows what he'd do."

"I'll talk to him later," Morgan decided. "Hopefully we'll be partnered together later in the day, and I can comfort him a little."

"So you can make out with him, more likely," Prentiss teased.

Morgan laughed, glad the mood had been lightened a little. "That, too," he agreed. "But I do need to spend time with him, to make him feel better. Me, too. It's already been a hard day."

That day was about to get worse. At the hospital, another victim had died. The strain was duplicating at a rapid pace; it was poisoning the victims' lungs, causing haemorrhaging and even organ failure. Reid and Dr Kimura once again went to visit Abby's room.

"How's she doing?" Reid asked.

"She's a fighter," said Dr Kimura. "She's held on this long because she's young and strong. But she's started to bleed into her lungs."

"One of four left," Reid stated. Twenty-one victims dead. And if they didn't find the UnSub and the cure soon, the other four would die too.

"And we're running into another problem," Kimura announced. "The next of kin have questions. What do we tell them about cause of death?"

Reid had no answer for Kimura; because of the media blackout and the possibility of mass panic, they couldn't tell the victims' families that their loved ones had been infected by anthrax. Reid could imagine how horrible that unknowing was; the one you loved lying in a hospital, and having no idea why they were dying.

Unbidden, the image of Morgan once again floated into Reid's mind. Morgan lying in a hospital room just like Abby's, with black lesions on his hands, arms, face. Morgan thin and weak, tubes the only thing keeping him alive. Morgan, still in the hospital bed, unmoving and silent, a doctor slowly pulling the sheets up above his head and the heart monitor emitting a single, high pitched, note. Reid couldn't help the panic and fear filling him, and he felt his breaths become shallow and fast.

"Dr Reid! Dr Reid!" Kimura cried, putting a hand on his arm. Reid blinked, slowly managing to bring himself back to reality. "Dr Reid, are you okay?"

Reid sighed. "No, not really," he admitted. "It's just-" Reid stopped, unsure whether he should continue speaking. Deciding that he needed to get it off his chest though, he continued. "It's just sometimes, when I look at Abby and the other victims, all I can see is-" This time Reid knew he couldn't continue. He just couldn't tell Dr Kimura about Morgan.

"All you can see is the one you love lying on the bed instead?" Kimura finished. Reid nodded, completely shaken. "I don't blame you. I keep worrying about that too. I don't mean to be too- invasive, I suppose- but it seems like… you haven't been together for that long?"

Reid nodded. "Just over two months," he answered. "The circumstances surrounding our relationship are… different as well." Reid didn't elaborate, and Dr Kimura didn't press him. She seemed to realise that it wasn't really her business.

"We'll just have to trust that our loved ones will be okay, I guess," said Kimura. "It's okay to worry, but if we dwell on things like this, we won't be focused on saving Abby and the others."

"I know," said Reid. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be," said Kimura. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Just don't dwell on it, okay?" Reid gave her a small smile in thanks, but he was still desperately yearning for Morgan to hold him in his arms and tell him everything was going to be okay.

Suddenly, Reid phone began to ring. He pulled it out and looked at it- it was _him_. Of course it was. Who else would it be? Reid's heart skipped a beat, and he felt surprisingly anxious as he answered the call. "Hello?"

"Hey, pretty boy, you miss me?" said Morgan's teasing voice.

"I'm not alone," Reid hissed, quietly enough so Kimura couldn't make out what he was saying. "But yes."

Morgan laughed. "Well, we've got a suspect, kid," he said. "Dr Lawrence Nichols. Apparently he's been rather fanatical about extreme preparedness against anthrax attacks."

"So you guys think he could've been the one who launched the anthrax attack at the park, so he could prove his point?" Reid asked.

"Yeah," Morgan replied. "Hotch wants us to go and check out Dr Nichols' house. I'm gonna come to the hospital and get you."

"Okay," said Reid. He sighed and walked a little way away from Dr Kimura, so she couldn't overhear him. "I need to talk to you later, alone."

"Is everything okay?" Morgan asked, worried. "Are _we_ okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine," Reid said quickly. "It's just- I really need to talk to _you_. Need to see you."

Morgan remembered what Prentiss had told him earlier, and instantly understood. "No problem, Spence," he said in a gentle voice. "I'll see you soon."

Reid hung up the phone and walked back to Dr Kimura. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

"The team has found a suspect," Reid replied. "Dr Lawrence Nichols was becoming very fanatical about the possibility of an anthrax attack on America. We suspect he may have launched _this_ attack to prove his point. Agent Morgan is coming here to get me, and then we're going to go check out Dr Nichols' house."

"Do you think you'll find the cure there?" said Kimura, suddenly hopeful.

"I don't know," was Reid's honest answer. "I hope we will. I'm pretty sure we will. But I don't know for sure."

It wasn't long before Morgan showed up at the hospital. Reid's face lit up as soon as he saw him, and he hoped that Dr Kimura hadn't noticed. She was a smart woman; she would be able to put two and two together.

"How are you?" Morgan whispered to Reid. The genius knew that either Morgan had figured out that Reid was worried or somebody had told him- most likely both.

"I'm better now," Reid replied honestly, giving Morgan a look that said _we'll talk more in the car_.

Reid turned around to face Dr Kimura again. "I'll see you later, than," he said.

"Good luck, Agent Reid," she said.

Reid was silent when the two of them got into the car. Morgan knew he wanted to talk, but he also knew not to push him. After a moment, Reid turned to face him.

"I'm worried," he said. Just two words- so simple, yet so powerful. Morgan found it very hard to concentrate on the road, but luckily Dr Nichols' house wasn't that far away. Reid remained silent for the rest of the ride- Morgan needed to concentrate on driving the unfamiliar roads. When they pulled up outside Nichols' house, Morgan turned to look at Reid properly.

"Spill, kid," said Morgan. When Reid didn't speak, Morgan put a hand on his arm and spoke more softly. "Spencer, you know you can talk to me. You know you can tell me anything."

"All I can think about, all I see whenever I look at Abby and the other victims lying in the hospital, is you," Reid managed to get out. "I just keep seeing you, lying in that bed, dying. I'm so afraid that the UnSub is going to launch another attack, and that he's gonna get you."

"Oh, pretty boy…" Morgan took both of Reid's hands in his, and stared at Reid until he looked him in the eye. "_Nothing_ is going to happen to me, okay? I am _not_ going to leave you. I promise." Before he could think twice, before the genius could stop him, Morgan leaned forward and kissed the genius. Reid fought for the briefest of moments before kissing him back, the need for reassurance and the hope and belief that both would be fine came through. Neither man wanted the kiss to end, neither wanted to again face the fear of losing the one they loved and neither of them cared that they were sitting in a car where anybody could see them; they just needed each other in that moment.

It was a long while before Morgan and Reid broke apart, they needed to go inside and take a look at Dr Nichols' house soon. "I'm not going anywhere, okay?" Morgan whispered, and then he grinned. "I'd miss doing _that_ too much."

Reid just shook his head as the two of them climbed out of the car and stood in front of Nicholls' driveway. The HAZMAT team was already inside, looking around.

"_Clear so far_," one of them said into his microphone.

"Alright, keep me posted," Morgan replied. He turned to face Reid. "This guy just had people over for a charity event last month."

"We should probably take a look around anyway," said Reid. The two of them turned to walk down the driveway, and Reid caught his hand on a rose bush. He gave a small noise in shock and shook his hand, but pushed the incident out of his mind and followed after Morgan.

As they walked through the yard, Morgan's phone rang and he stopped to answer it.

"Yeah, Prentiss?" he said. "What's up?"

"Are you going to Dr Nichols' house?" Prentiss asked.

"Yeah, we're here now," Morgan replied.

"There's nothing here," said Prentiss. "At his lab."

Morgan moved a few steps to avoid the sprinklers that had just turned on, and to absorb what Prentiss had said. "Sorry, what? The lab is clean?" Morgan gasped, shocked. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely," said Prentiss. "The HAZMAT team checked. There's nothing."

"All right." Morgan hung up, slightly stunned. "They've got nothing…" he began, but then he stopped. Reid wasn't there. "Reid? Reid!" Morgan called as he began walking towards Nicholls' house, looking for Reid on the way. "Reid." Morgan saw the open door into the house, and began running. "Reid. Reid!"

As Morgan entered the house, though, Reid slid the door to the next room shut, keeping it between them. "Derek, get back. Get back!" he cried. "Get out of here!"

"What are you doing?" said Morgan. "What's wrong?"

Reid didn't answer; instead, he just worked on locking the door to the room, after tucking a lock of hair behind his ear to keep it out of his way, making sure Morgan couldn't get to him. Reid wouldn't do that without a reason. Something was terribly wrong.

"Believe me, get back," said Reid earnestly, still trying to lock the door.

"What's wrong? Spence, open the door!" Morgan begged.

Reid finally locked the door and looked Morgan in the eye. The older man could see the pain, fear and above all guilt in his lover's eyes. "I'm sorry," Reid whispered.

Reid glanced back into the room behind him, and Morgan followed his gaze. What he saw was enough to make his heart stop. A vial marked hazardous was lying shattered on the floor, the white powder it had held strewn all over. The air conditioner was on full blast. Morgan looked at Reid, comprehension and panic in his eyes. "No," he said. "No, no, no, no, no…" The tears were already glistening in his eyes as he stared at Reid, not willing to believe what had happened.

Reid stared back at him, and then he swallowed. "Yes, Derek," he managed to choke out. "It's anthrax. I'm infected."

"How can you be sure?" Morgan demanded. "You don't know that! Let me in!"

"It's anthrax, Derek," Reid repeated. "And even though there is a slim possibility it might not be, do you really think I'm going to take that chance? Do you really think I'm going to let you in here? You can't get infected as well!"

Morgan recognised the determination in Reid's eyes, and knew he wouldn't get him to back down. He couldn't blame him, either; if he had've been in Reid's position he would've let the one he loved in, either.

For a long while, Morgan just stared at Reid. He just stared at the man he loved on the other side of the glass door, and the gravity of the situation finally began to sink in. Reid was infected. Reid had anthrax in his system. If they didn't find the cure soon, Reid was going to die.

Morgan raised a hand and placed it against the glass. Reid mimicked him, and the two of them pretended they could feel each other's touch. What Morgan wouldn't give to be able to hold Reid right now, to comfort him, to tell him that everything was going to be okay.

"Dr Nichols is dead in here," Reid said suddenly.

"What?" Morgan gasped, shocked out of his reverie. "D-dead? But for how long?"

"Two days, maybe three," Reid replied. "It wasn't him. He's involved in this somehow, but he wasn't the one who launched the attack."

Morgan nodded. "We have to find someone connected to him that did, then," he said, but he didn't move from his spot. The HAZMAT team that had been searching through the rest of Dr Nichols' house had shown up, though.

"Does the team know?" Reid asked.

Morgan shook his head. "Not yet," he answered. "The leader of the HAZMAT team asked me if I wanted him to call Hotch for me, but I said no. I want to do this myself. Unless you want to?"

Reid shook his head. "No," he said. "You… you should do it." He wasn't going to admit it to Morgan, but he already felt slightly weak. "Go outside," he suggested. "I don't think I can hear this."

"Okay," said Morgan. "You hang in there, kid. You'll be okay." Morgan headed outside and pulled out his phone, his hand shaking. He began silently telling himself that everything would be okay, as he dialled Hotch's number.

"Hello?" said Hotch when he picked up.

"Hotch, it's me," said Morgan. "Are the others there?"

"JJ's with me," Hotch replied. "And Garcia too, of course. But Prentiss and Rossi are still at Dr Nichols' work. Why? Have you and Reid found something?"

"Can you conference them in?" Morgan asked. "I don't wanna say this twice."

If Hotch was confused by Morgan's request, he didn't say it; rather, he just did as the agent had asked.

"Hello?" said both Prentiss and Rossi.

"Morgan has something he needs to tell us," Hotch announced. "Go ahead, Morgan."

"We, uh, we found anthrax in Dr Nichols' house. There's a lab out the back," Morgan explained. The HAZMAT team had already tested the substance, and confirmed that it was, in fact, anthrax.

"So it was Dr Nichols," Hotch surmised. Morgan didn't reply; he couldn't. Saying it would make it real.

The others had sensed that something was wrong, though. "Are you okay, my chocolate Adonis?" said Garcia worriedly. Then she realised whose voice was missing. "Wait, where's Reid?"

"That's what I need to tell you," said Morgan. He gulped, and took in a deep breath. "When Prentiss called me before, I didn't see Spencer go into the house by himself. When I finally realised though, it was too late."

The others, perhaps because they didn't want to consider the possibility, hadn't put two and two together. "So Reid found the lab," Rossi finished. "What's so bad about that?"

"When he went in, he- there's white powder in the room, and the air was on full blast," Morgan's voice caught in his mouth, but he had to keep talking. "It- it was anthrax. He's infected."

The team was stunned into silence. Despite the danger of this case, none of them had anticipated that one of their own would get infected- except, of course, for Reid himself. In the back of his mind Morgan realised how ironic that was, and he almost laughed. But that amusement was dampened almost instantly, as he remembered the situation they were in right then.

Hotch was the first to break the silence. "Are you sure it's anthrax?" he asked. Of course, Hotch would be able to keep a level head in a situation like this.

"It was marked hazardous," Morgan answered. "And it's been tested. It's definitely anthrax." Morgan could hear both JJ's and Garcia's choked sobs.

"Is Reid okay?" Prentiss managed to get out. She was trying to remain calm, given she and Rossi were out in public and could be overheard, but Morgan could tell it was hard for her.

"He is for now," said Morgan. "I just hope it lasts." Morgan tried to keep his own voice level, but he knew the others could hear the fear and anguish he felt. Reid had been the one worried for Morgan's safety, and Morgan had been so nonchalant about the prospect of Reid getting infected- he just hadn't thought it was a possibility. But now it had happened, and Morgan felt sick to his stomach.

"General Whitworth and I will be out there soon, Morgan," said Hotch finally. "We need to keep working this case, especially now." He didn't need to say it twice; now that one of their own had been infected and was possibly dying, the team would work twice as hard to catch the bastard who did this. "I'll also let Dr Kimura know what's happened, and send her out there to help Reid."

"Okay," said Morgan. "I- I need to go back to Spence, tell him what's happening."

"Surely you can't get into him?" Prentiss exclaimed.

"No, I can't," Morgan admitted. "He locked the door as soon as he heard me coming the first time, so I couldn't get in. But I can talk to him through the door." There was a very pregnant pause. Every member of the team wanted to say something to Morgan, but none of them knew what to say.

"I'll see you soon then, Morgan," Hotch said eventually.

"Bye," said all Morgan managed to say before hanging up the phone. As soon as he did, he turned around and walked back into the house, straight back to Reid.

Reid only had to look at Morgan to know the team hadn't reacted well to the news- but if he was completely honest with himself, he hadn't expected them to. One of their own was sick and probably dying- why would they react well to that news? Still, he had to ask Morgan. "How… how did they take it?"

Morgan had to marvel at Reid. Even in a situation such as this, the young man was more worried about the team than himself. "I'm not completely sure," said Morgan. "They didn't realise at first, until I told them outright. They were just silent, when I told them. But I think- I think I might have heard JJ and Garcia crying. They're all worried about you, kid. Every single one of them."

Reid looked down at his feet, his guilt evident on his face. Morgan knew he was blaming himself- he usually did. "Hey, Spence," Morgan whispered gently. "It isn't your fault that you got infected. It's Nichols', and whoever launched the attack at the park. You had no way of knowing that there was anthrax in that room."

"But I let you down," Reid managed to choke out. "I was just telling you how worried I was that you were going to get infected, and then I go and let that happen to me."

"Kid, you haven't let me down," Morgan said truthfully. "The only way you could do that is if you didn't try to fight this, if you didn't try to hold on and stay with me."

Reid managed to give Morgan a small smile. "Then I'll do that. I couldn't leave you. No way." He paused for a moment. "I love you," he added in a whisper.

"I love you too, pretty boy," Morgan replied instantly. He had to look away from Reid for a moment, to wipe a tear from his eye. He couldn't let Reid see him break down; it would be much too hard for him to go on if he saw that. No. Morgan had to be strong for Reid, so Reid would be able to survive. And he had to think positive. They were going to find the cure, and Reid would survive. He had to. If he didn't, Morgan had no idea how he would go on.

* * *

><p>It wasn't long until the ambulance showed up, ready to take care of Reid. "Go outside," Reid suggested to Morgan. "Hotch is gonna be here any minute."<p>

"Spence-" Morgan began, but Reid cut him off.

"Derek, please." Morgan saw the earnest look in Reid's eye, and understood. Morgan didn't want Reid to dwell on his guilt, but he knew that Reid didn't want Morgan to see him break down.

"Okay," said Morgan finally. "I'll go wait for Hotch." No sooner had Morgan walked outside than a black car pulled up and Hotch climbed out, followed by General Whitworth and another man from the army.

"Morgan, how's Reid?" The older agent asked as soon as they were within speaking distance.

"There's white powder in the room, and the air was blasting," Morgan replied.

"Get a decon team suited up, secure a grey zone outside that door," said General Whitworth to the other man with him. "Clean him up, and get him in the ambulance fast."

"I should have been right there with him," said Morgan, right now feeling as guilty as Reid did about the situation.

"Morgan, there's no time for second-guessing," said Hotch quickly and firmly. "What do we know?"

"Nichols is dead, blunt force trauma to his head, Spencer thinks he's been dead about two or three days," Morgan explained.

"Well, then he couldn't have been responsible for the attack," General Whitworth realised.

"Reid took Cipro today, so he's gotta be okay, right?" said Morgan, trying to convince himself.

"I don't know," Hotch admitted. "It was precautionary."

"It's not helping patients at the hospital," General Whitworth added grimly.

"Yeah, but they didn't take it until after they were exposed. Spence took it before," Morgan pressed, almost desperately now.

"Yeah, but we've never tested this strain on a Cipro-ready subject," General Whitworth pointed out to Morgan as Hotch's phone began to ring. "We just don't know."

Hotch glanced down at his caller ID and answered instantly, putting the phone on speaker. "Reid."

"Hotch, I really messed up this time," said Reid.

"Reid, we need to get you out and into the hospital," said Hotch.

"No, I'm staying right here," Reid protested, sweat already shining on his face as he watched the three men through the window.

"No you're not, Spence!" Morgan cried.

"I'm already exposed. It's not gonna do me any good to stop working the case," Reid argued.

"He's already infected," said General Whitworth. "Now if Nichols created the strain, he may have also created the cure."

"My best chance is to stay here, see if there's a cure, try to figure out who killed Dr Nichols," said Reid.

"Come on Hotch, say something to him," said Morgan. He was clearly worried, and Hotch could see why; the man he loved more than anyone else in the world had been infected by anthrax, and was refusing to go to the hospital.

Hotch remained silent for a moment, weighing up both sides of the argument. "He's right," Hotch decided. "His best chance is inside," he said to Morgan. Speaking into the phone again, he said, "We're gonna get a suit and mask into you right away."

"Don't bother. It's not gonna do me any good, I'm already infected," Reid said, lowering his phone and resuming his search around Dr Nichols' office. Hotch and Morgan watched with worry and fear as General Whitworth and his team began to set up the quarantine area around the lab. Neither of them remembered being so worried or scared in their life.

"Reid, what do you see in there?" Hotch asked after a while.

"I see cages filled with dead animals," Reid began, "I see signs of a struggle, probably before Dr Nichols was murdered. Equipment's missing. There's a large desk. There's clutter all over the surface, but in the corner, there's a smaller desk. It's organised. Functional."

"Two different work spaces?" said Morgan, confused.

"Two sets of handwriting," said Reid. "I'm looking at instructions on how to boil lab-grade broth, sterilise lab equipment and transfer spores."

"Nichols would know all that," said General Whitworth.

"He has a partner, maybe even a protégé," Reid realised. "Go back to the BAU, try to figure out who this partner is."

"Hotch, why don't you go, I'll stay with Reid," Morgan suggested. Hotch saw the pleading look in Morgan's eyes, and knew Morgan would not be able to leave.

"Funnel all the information you get to me," said Hotch, running off with General Whitworth. Morgan watched them go with fear in his eyes, and then turned back to watch Reid. He could see it now; the young genius was definitely getting sicker. His face was glistening with sweat, and Morgan even saw him hesitate a few times before resuming his search. That was not like Reid; he wouldn't need to hesitate. He would just _know_.

"He's gonna die," Morgan realised with a painful thump of his heart. "Spencer's going to die, and there's nothing I can do to stop it." A tear ran down Morgan's cheek, one the older man knew would be the first of many. He wiped it away quickly, before Reid could turn to the window and see Morgan breaking down. He had to stay strong for Reid, so Reid would keep fighting. If he saw Morgan crying, he would know all hope was lost and he'd give up. He wouldn't try to hold on to his life. No, Morgan had to be tough. For Reid's sake.

Reid didn't turn around until Morgan got called away by a member of the HAZMAT team. When he saw Morgan was no longer watching, Reid pulled out his phone again and dialled.

"Hey Reid," came Garcia's whispered answer.

"Reid, wow, no, uh…" Reid had to swallow before continuing; his throat was too dry. "No witty Garcia greeting for me?"

"I can't be my sparkly self when you are where you are," Garcia admitted.

"Garcia, do you think you can do something for me?" Reid asked.

"Anything."

"I, uh, I know I can't… call my mum without, uh, without alerting everyone at her hospital," said Reid. He was finding it hard to talk now without having to swallow or cough halfway through, which he knew wasn't a very good sign.

"What do you need?" said Garcia, sensing Reid's problem.

"I, uh, I need you to record a message for her in case anything happens to me," said Reid.

"Oh, nothing's going to happen to you," Garcia assured him. You're gonna… brilliantly find out who did this and we're gonna treat this strain."

"I hope you're right," Reid admitted, "but if you're not I just… I really wanna make sure she hears my voice."

"Okay," said Garcia finally. "Just give me a sec." Garcia began working away on her keyboard, bringing her voice-recording software up on the screen.

"Are you ready?" Reid asked.

"Ready."

"Hi, Mum, this is Spencer," Reid began, his voice already thick with tears. "I just, um, I just really want you to know that I love you. And I… I _need_ you to know that I spend every day of my life proud to be your son."

Garcia had tears in her eyes as she listened to Reid. "Reid?" she said when he fell silent.

"There's… there's one more thing, Garcia," said Reid. Reid fell silent again and swallowed, but Garcia already knew what he was going to say. "I… I need you to record a message for Derek, too."

"Oh, Reid, you don't need to go that," Garcia whispered to him. "Even if something happens to you, you can say goodbye to him in person. It's not like you're going to tip anyone off by doing that."

"I can't, Garcia," Reid begged. "It'll… it'll be way to hard for me. I just- I don't think I'd be able to do it. It would be too hard for him, and for me. And actually saying goodbye would be like giving up, and Derek made me promise I wouldn't give up. This is… this is just a backup plan, just in case."

"Okay," Garcia decided. "Whenever you're ready."

Reid took a deep breath, and waited a few long moments before speaking again. "Derek," he began. "It's me. I… I knew you wouldn't let me say goodbye in person, so I got Garcia to record it for me. All I really wanted to say was that I love you, more than I ever thought possible. You… you've made me happier than I've ever been in my life, and I… I wish I could grow old with you, spend forever with you. I'm sorry for leaving you, Derek. I love you."

Garcia had begun crying before Reid had even finished speaking. "Reid?" she said tentatively.

Reid could hear Dr Kimura talking in the background, and he knew she had arrived at the house. "I gotta go," he said, hanging up quickly.

Reid turned around as Kimura walked into the room, dressed in the suit that would protect her from the anthrax powder. "Dr Reid," she said when she saw him.

"You look nice," Reid joked.

"I haven't been in this outfit for a while," Kimura admitted.

"How are the patients doing?" Reid asked.

"Let's worry about you," said Kimura.

"I actually… I feel fine," said Reid unconvincingly.

"Okay, if you feel any pain I can at least give you something," Dr Kimura suggested.

"No, I'd rather not take any pain medication," said Reid, shaking his head.

"We can at least make you feel more comfortable," Kimura pressed.

"I am comfortable and I don't want to take any narcotics!" Reid exclaimed.

Dr Kimura stared at him, taken aback. Most people would've taken the medication as soon as it had been offered to them. Reid, however, had a very good reason for refusing it. As memories of his past flitted into his mind, the euphoria, the struggle, the freedom, Reid knew that accepting the painkillers was a very bad idea.

Of course, Dr Kimura knew none of the agent's past; very few did, and for good reason. "Okay…" she said, drawing the word out to make her confusion obvious. "Tell me how I can help."

"I think the cure for this strain is in here somewhere," said Reid.

"Well, should I start here?" said Dr Kimura, gesturing to the desk next to her.

"Dr Nichols is a former military scientist, which means he's most likely secretive and most likely a little paranoid," Reid explained. "He would've protected the cure, and probably would've hidden it from his partner, so look for something innocuous. Something you would not suspect."

"All right," said Dr Kimura as she began searching.

Reid phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

"How's it going in there, kid?" said Morgan. Of course it was him. Who else would it be? Even though the older man was right outside, he would take any chance to talk to Reid. Reid had no idea who this was meant to be comforting: himself, or his lover.

"I've seen better days," Reid admitted.

"Well, you've got me and Garcia," said Morgan.

"Hey Reid," said Garcia softly.

Reid opened his mouth to speak, but a coughing fit overwhelmed him. Morgan and Garcia's expressions clearly showed their anxiousness and fear as Reid's coughs became louder and more aggressive. There was no doubt about it now: if they didn't find the cure, and soon, Reid was going to die.

"Reid, stick with me, listen," said Morgan, trying to pull Reid back to reality and get him to focus. "Prentiss and Rossi don't think the partner was a co-worker. Can you tell us anything else about him?"

"I, uh, I've already been through everything," Reid stammered.

"Come on now, kid, I know you're not thinking straight, but the Spencer I know and love wouldn't stop looking."

None of them knew whether it was Morgan reminding Reid of who he was, or saying that he loved him, but a determined look crossed Reid's face and he resumed his search of Nichols' lab. "All right. All right. I see a framed photograph of Dr Nichols teaching, I see, uh, I see a binder with syllabi, going all the way back to the 1970's."

"All right, so he kept a scrapbook of himself as a professor. That tells us he values himself as an educator," Morgan surmised.

"A teacher," Reid repeated, thinking. Suddenly a thought struck him, and he ran to the other side of the room. "I saw something earlier. I didn't… I didn't make a connection to it, or to the partner, but he has a study… on anthrax. It has an annotated bibliography, table of contents. It's formatted like a thesis. And has writing in the margins in red ink, like the way a teacher grades a paper. Now, Nichols wouldn't have let just anybody in here. But he may have opened his lab for educational purposes, as a teacher."

"So the partner must have appealed to him as an educator," Morgan realised, and then another thought hit him. "Nichols is helping him with his thesis."

"I can look up local PhD students," Garcia suggested, eager to help out.

"Yeah, check the sciences," said Morgan. "Biochemistry, microbiology."

"I'm cross-checking with names of former employees or customers with grievances at the bookstore… nothing, my doves," Garcia informed them.

Morgan paced backwards and forwards, both frustrated and panicking. Reid coughed again, loudly, before speaking. "Listening to this, 'this country is woefully unprepared. Every household should have a two-month supply of Cipro. Hospitals are in need of Biosafety Level Four Decon wings.'"

"That's verbatim to what we heard from Nichols," said Morgan, slightly stunned. "The partner's adopted Nichols' views as his own."

"The chapters are on setting up triage and mobile emergency rooms," said Reid, sitting down. "I don't think this paper was written by a science student. It's about city preparedness and response."

"So Garcia, check with students in the social studies," Morgan suggested. "Public policy, urban planning…"

"Hot to trot!" Garcia exclaimed. "There's a Chad Brown. School of Public Policy at U of M. Matches a Chad Brown, former employee at the Book Front."

"That's gotta be him," said Morgan.

"Totally," Garcia agreed. "He's been in the doctoral program on and off for five years, nix on a steady job, was slapped with a restraining order from his former girlfriend, and has been arrested and released twice at protest rallies in DC. I'll tell Hotch." She hung up the phone.

"Kid, you did real good, now get the hell out of there," Morgan said to Reid.

"Bye," said Reid, hanging up the phone and standing up.

"Dr Reid," said Dr Kimura suddenly. "You said the cure could be hidden somewhere we wouldn't suspect. What about Nichols' inhaler?"

Reid stared at Dr Kimura, trying to squash the hope he could feel growing in his chest. Could that inhaler hold the cure, the one thing that could save him? And even if it were, would they know that in time to use it on him and save his life?

* * *

><p>Reid was now standing inside a large white tent, a thick sheet of plastic separating him and Dr Kimura from Morgan. A member of the HAMAT team was hosing Reid down, trying to wash the last remnants of the anthrax dust off of him. The genius was still fully clothed, but he was soaking wet.<p>

Morgan, on the other hand, was on the phone to Hotch. "Okay. Yeah, they're hosing him down now. All right." He hung up the phone and walked closer to Reid, watching him. "They're checking out Brown's house," Morgan informed him.

"Go help Hotch," Reid suggested.

"Hotch has plenty of people helping him," said Morgan. He didn't want to leave Reid. He couldn't leave Reid, not now.

"He needs you more than I do," said Reid. He stared at Morgan, looking him in the eye, giving him a look that said '_I can't stand to have you see me like this. It's too hard for me_.'

"Spencer, I'm gonna see you off to the hospital," Morgan said forcefully. Damn what Reid wanted, this was what he _needed_. This was what would be better for him.

"I'm about to get naked, so they can scrub me down," Reid announced. "Is that something you really wanna see?"

Morgan's heart skipped a beat, and he was intensely grateful that his dark skin made it impossible for him to blush. Reid's question had been rhetorical; he knew exactly what Morgan's answer would be. Yes, yes, _yes_. But Morgan seeing Reid naked, even in the context of their situation, was not a very good idea. It would definitely reveal their secret. Morgan was getting turned on just thinking about it.

"I'll check on you later," Morgan decided, smirking. "Take good care of him, please," he said to Dr Kimura as he left. Kimura's eyes followed Morgan, thoughtful.

"Get this to the lab," said Kimura, handing a plastic bag containing the possible cure to a man dressed in a protective suit. The man nodded and walked off. "I hope you're right about this," she said to Reid.

"So do I," Reid admitted. As he began removing his tie, Dr Kimura noticed something on Reid's hand.

"Dr Reid, did you cut yourself?" she gasped. Reid looked down at his hand. The small cut he has sustained earlier from the rose bush had grown in size, and was now black. Panic filled Reid. _The lesions_, he realised. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

Dr Kimura finally finished washing Reid down and got him in the ambulance. They drove down the road, lights and sirens blazing.

"How are you doing, Dr Reid?" Kimura asked softly as Reid coughed.

"My throat's a little dry," Reid admitted, "but other than that I feel… I feel fin… I feel…" Panic-stricken, Reid looked up at Dr Kimura as he tried to get the words out of his mouth. He remembered this happening to Abby at the hospital, the aphasia that made her sentences nonsense. He also remembered, with a growing sense of fear, what Dr Kimura had said: _"Some of the other patients displayed the same symptoms- shortly before they died."_ Now it was happening to him. He couldn't even speak anymore. He was going to die soon.

"Okay, you're doing okay," Dr Kimura whispered, trying to calm Reid down. "Driver! Faster!" she called out as Reid began coughing again, and blood ran from the corner of his mouth, dripping from his chin.

* * *

><p>As Morgan walked through the bullpen back at the BAU after leaving Reid, Garcia came towards him. "Derek, Dr Kimura called, Reid's in trouble," she whispered.<p>

"What do you mean?" Morgan gasped.

"He got way sicker on the way to the hospital, something about respiratory distress," Garcia explained.

Morgan just stared at Garcia, shocked. JJ and Hotch came down the stairs just in time to see Morgan break down, collapsing to his knees on the floor. He couldn't lose Reid, he just couldn't. He tried to reason with himself that he hadn't been this worried about Reid every other time he'd been in trouble, but at the same time part of him was saying that this time was different. They weren't together back then. They hadn't realised they were in love. Morgan and Reid had finally been brought together, and now they were about to be ripped apart.

"Derek," said Garcia, kneeling down beside him and putting an arm around him. "They think they have the cure. They just need to get it tested, and once they do they can give it to Reid and save him."

"They think? They _think_? _Thinking _they have the cure isn't good enough, Garcia!" Morgan exclaimed, startling the technical analyst and everyone around them. "And even if they do have the cure, what if they don't get it to him in time? He's already has respiratory distress!"

"Listen," said Hotch. "He is with the people who can help him the most. I need everybody's head here right now. Morgan. Derek." Morgan snapped his head up and looked at Hotch through a veil of tears. "You need to stay strong. We need to bring Brown in before he can infect anybody else. And you need to have hope. Reid will pull through. If only because he can't stand to leave you."

After Hotch had finished speaking, Morgan took a few deep, shuddering breaths before allowing Garcia to help him to his feet. "For Spencer," he murmured to himself, before wiping away his tears with the back of his hand. He couldn't believe he'd broken down in public like that; he'd probably just blown the secret of his relationship completely.

When she was sure that Morgan had pulled himself together, JJ began speaking. "Okay, we spoke to Brown's sister, they've been estranged for years."

"Did she… did she say anything about the park or the bookstore?" Morgan asked, trying to get his head back in the game.

"Quiet Hills Park was where he proposed to a girl. She said no. The bookstore is where he worked to put himself through college. I guess he was bitter about not getting promoted," said JJ.

"So both locations represent rejection to him," Hotch surmised.

"So, what's our next move?" Morgan asked.

"Prentiss and Rossi found maps of transit systems at his house," Hotch announced. He and General Whitworth argued for a few minutes, each of them having a different opinion on which station Chad Brown would attack, before Hotch decided to head for Frederick Station.

Hotch and Morgan ran straight out of Bureau Headquarters and into an SUV, driving off as fast as they could. "No gas masks, I repeat, no gas masks," said Morgan into a speaker. "Rush hour crowd sees anyone in a mask there's gonna be a stampede."

"Morgan, I want you to stay aboveground and help the crowds," said Hotch. "I'm gonna go down by myself."

"Not a chance, Hotch," Morgan argued.

"Morgan, we're a man down," Hotch pointed out. "If the area's infected we can't risk losing both of us as well."

"You don't need to remind me, Hotch," Morgan hissed, and Hotch instantly felt bad for bringing up Reid; both for making Morgan once again fear for Reid's life, and also for distracting him from the task at hand.

The two stopped speaking, riding in complete and utter silence except for the wailing of the sirens. After a moment, Hotch decided he needed to say something. "Are you sure you want to come with me and bring down Brown?" he asked tentatively. "Is your head really in this?"

"What are you saying, Hotch?" Morgan demanded. "That I'm gonna want to shoot Brown as soon as I see him, because he could've killed Spencer? You know that's not me, man!"

"I know it's not," Hotch agreed. "What I meant was, wouldn't you rather be at the hospital, staying with Reid and making sure he's going to be okay?"

"No," Morgan replied instantly, startling Hotch. "Don't get me wrong, Hotch. I am more scared right now than I have ever been in my life, knowing that Spence is in that hospital and could very well die. But I… I don't think I can stand to look at him right now. I don't think I can stand to go to that hospital, and go into his room and see him lying on that bed, so pale and weak and sick. I would not be able to hold myself together. Watching him, and knowing he can barely breathe, knowing he could die any moment… I don't think I'm strong enough for that."

"I understand," said Hotch, and Morgan knew that he meant it. "But as soon as we catch Brown, you're going to that hospital, whether we know if Reid will survive or not."

Morgan nodded, although he and Hotch both knew that deep down Morgan had been planning on doing that anyway. He turned to look at Hotch. "Besides, we're a team," he added forcefully. "We're going to go down as a team."

It didn't take long to bring Chad Brown into custody with Hotch's plan, which involved General Whitworth creating a diversion while Morgan snuck up behind Brown and cuffed him. After the military men led Brown away, Hotch turned to Morgan. "Aren't you forgetting something?" he reminded him.

"Spencer," Morgan realised. He looked at Hotch frantically.

"Take the SUV," said Hotch, tossing his keys to Morgan. "I'll find my own way back to the BAU. I'll be in to visit Reid tomorrow."

Morgan murmured a brief thank you to Hotch before racing back out of the station and into the SUV. Not wanting to waste time stuck in traffic, he turned the siren on and sped through the streets. He was sure Hotch would forgive him; this was a matter of life and death, after all.

Morgan slowed down when he entered the hospital, heading straight upstairs to Reid's room. Dr Kimura was in there with a number of other doctors, but she came out when she saw Morgan watching.

"Agent Morgan," she said in greeting. "What happened?"

"We caught the guy," Morgan informed her. "Before he could infect anyone else. How's he doing?" he asked, gesturing past Kimura to Reid lying in the bed.

"Agent Morgan, I'm not going to lie to you," Kimura began. "Dr Reid's condition is very serious. I believe he has inhaled a much larger dose of anthrax than the other victims, possibly with the exception of the first few who died, because his symptoms appeared and grew a lot faster than they did in the others. He has aphasia, and the ventilator is the only thing helping him breathe right now. And he has lesions on his skin. To be honest with you, if we didn't think we had the cure, we wouldn't have bothered with the ventilator. It would only prolong the inevitable."

"So what are you saying?" said Morgan, his voice catching in his throat. This couldn't be happening. Reid was _not_ going to die. Tears began to fall from his eyes, and this time Morgan didn't bother to make them stop.

Dr Kimura stared at Morgan for a moment, with the expression of someone who was finally putting two and two together in their mind. Then she said, "What Dr Reid and I believe to be the cure is due back from the lab any minute. As soon as we have confirmed that it _is_ the cure, we will administer it to him and the other four victims. He _will_ survive this, Agent Morgan."

"Are you sure?" Morgan could hardly dare hope. He didn't want to believe Reid would live, only to have that hope dashed, but he also knew that being told Reid was dying and there was no hope wouldn't be any better.

Kimura gave him a small smile. "I'm sure. Doctor Reid is going to live a full and happy life, surrounded by those who love him and those _he _loves." Just as she said that, another doctor ran up to her and whispered something to her. She nodded and the doctor handed her something, before they both raced into Reid's room. Morgan followed her, stopping in the doorway. He had no idea what was happening, and panic and fear once again filled his body as he watched the doctors work on Reid. Morgan's heart was in his throat; was Reid dying? Was he going to lose him now, when he was so close to being saved?

"What's happening?" Morgan demanded. "Dr Kimura, what's going on?"

"We're giving him the cure," Kimura replied. "This is it. He's going to live."

Morgan let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, and leant against the wall for support as relief flooded through him. "He's… he's going to be okay?" Morgan managed to get out.

Dr Kimura stepped away from Reid, and smiled at Morgan as she walked over to him. "He's going to be absolutely fine," she confirmed. "Do you want to come sit inside and wait with him?"

Morgan nodded, not trusting himself to be able to speak. Using all his strength and concentration he pushed himself away from the wall, on shaky legs, and into the chair beside Reid's bed, a sudden exhaustion hitting him now he had no more cause to worry. The ventilator was still helping the young doctor breathe, but he wouldn't need it much longer. And Morgan may have been imagining it, but he could have sworn that the colour was beginning to creep back into Reid's cheeks.

Morgan looked away from Reid for a moment, a huge and genuine smile now spread across his face, to see that all the doctors had cleared out of the room except for Kimura. "Can I talk to you, Agent Morgan?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered, confused. "What about?"

"You and Dr Reid are close, aren't you?" said Kimura.

Morgan nodded, wondering where Kimura was going with this. "He's been my best friend ever since he joined the BAU. Even though we're complete opposites."

Kimura smiled at him. "Never, in all my years of being a doctor, have I seen somebody so emotionally invested in their _friend's_ condition," she said.

Morgan looked at Dr Kimura properly, shocked. "What are you saying?" Morgan gasped.

"You know exactly what I'm saying," said Kimura. "I know about you two. He didn't tell me, if that's what you're thinking," she added when Morgan gave her a slightly horrified look.

"Then how did you figure it out?" Morgan asked.

"When he first came to the hospital to visit the other victims, he was talking about the person he loved," Kimura explained. "And then when you showed up, the look on his face… but I didn't actually figure it out until you just showed up here, crying because of his condition."

Morgan sighed and looked down at his hands. "Spencer is… he's everything to me," he said. "It took me a long time to realise how I felt, but since I have I've never looked back. I can't imagine my life without him. Thinking he was going to die… it's been so hard for me. I love him so much." Morgan looked over at Reid again, and took the younger man's hand in his. "I'm glad I still have a chance to prove that."

Dr Kimura smiled again. "I'm going to take out the ventilator now, and see if he can breathe on his own," she announced. "He mightn't be able to breathe at first, so don't panic if that happens. And if he can't breathe, we can always put the ventilator back in. He will be able to breathe eventually, even if he can't breathe now."

Morgan nodded, steeling himself. He knew that no matter what Kimura said, he was going to panic a little when the ventilator first came out and Reid wasn't breathing. He watched as Dr Kimura walked over and carefully took the tube out of Reid's mouth. Sure enough, thoughts came unbidden into his mind when Reid's state was unchanged, and he still wasn't breathing- Reid turning blue from lack of oxygen, Reid slowly suffocating in front of his eyes. Morgan's heart had leapt into his throat.

Suddenly, the gasping sound of someone trying to take in deep breaths filled the room, and Morgan saw Reid, his chest heaving as he tried to fill his lungs. Morgan watched with increasing hope as Reid's breathing became less gasping and more even, until he was finally breathing regularly on his own.

Morgan let out a sigh of relief and leant back in his chair. "He did it," he whispered, his happiness evident in his voice. This was the final proof and the final thing that was stopping Morgan from fully accepting that Reid was going to survive this; that the ventilator was no longer there.

"He's breathing. He's really going to be okay." Morgan looked up at Dr Kimura after a moment. "Do you think you can call the rest of my team for me, let them know the good news?" he asked. "I don't think I'm up to it. Oh, and I'm kinda hungry. Could you get me some Jell-O or something?"

Dr Kimura laughed. "Will do, Agent Morgan," she said before leaving the room.

Another doctor brought Morgan his Jell-O, and he sat there eating it while he read a magazine. Now that he knew Reid was going to be okay, he felt as though he could relax a bit more. As such, he didn't notice Reid beginning to stir.

"Are you eating Jell-O?" Reid murmured in a croaky voice.

Morgan looked over at Reid and smiled when he saw him awake. "Hmm. Hey, kid," he said. "Hey Doc!" he called to Kimura, who was standing only a few metres away from the room. "Look who's back!"

"Is there any more Jell-O?" Reid asked as Dr Kimura came into the room.

"Hey, not so fast," Dr Kimura warned him with a smile on her face.

"What happened?" said Reid.

"You're gonna be all right, kid," Morgan informed him, getting to his feet. "And we got Brown. It's over."

"How's Abby?" Reid asked Dr Kimura. That was typical Reid, worrying about Abby and not even considering himself.

"She's on the mend," Kimura replied. "So are the three others. You were right about where to look for his cure."

"Why was Dr Nichols making anthrax in the first place?" said Reid.

"He was a brilliant scientist downgraded to working on the flu," said Morgan, sighing. "Brown comes along asking for help with his thesis…"

"He was probably more than happy to share his knowledge," Reid finished, his eyes half-closed again. He still felt incredibly weak and tired.

"There was no indication that Nichols had any idea what Brown was planning," Morgan added.

"His strain and its cure are getting locked up in containment at Fort Detrick," said Dr Kimura. "With all the other bio-agents people don't know about."

"Hm, really? What else do they have locked up in there?" Morgan wondered. He looked down at Reid again, tears still glistening in his eyes. This time, though, they were tears of happiness. "It doesn't matter anyway," he said. "What _does_ matter is that you're alive, and you're going to be okay, pretty boy."

When Morgan used his affectionate nickname for Reid, the young genius looked up at Dr Kimura, but she just looked back at him with a knowing smile on her face. "I know, Dr Reid," she confirmed. "And you don't need to worry. I'm not going to tell anyone your secret. No one should spoil this for you, especially when it makes you so happy."

Reid smiled. "Thank you, Dr Kimura. That really means a lot," he said honestly. His exhaustion began to overwhelm him, and he slumped back against the pillows.

"You need your rest, Dr Reid," said Kimura softly. "Fighting the virus took a lot out of you."

As Morgan got up to leave, Reid reached out and grabbed his hand. "Don't leave me," he pleaded in a soft voice.

Morgan turned to look at Dr Kimura, the question evident on his face. She looked back at him kindly. "You can stay," she said. "But let him sleep." Dr Kimura left the room, leaving Morgan and Reid alone.

Morgan sat back down in his chair, pulling it closer to the bed while his hand remained in Reid's. "I was so worried about you, pretty boy," he confessed. "I was so, so scared that you we're going to die, I-" Morgan stopped, unable to keep speaking.

"I'm alright now," Reid whispered. "I'm not leaving you. I could never leave you. You were what kept me holding on."

A single tear ran down Morgan's cheek, and he leant forward and kissed Reid ever so softly. "You need to sleep," he said when he pulled away. Kimura was right; you need to get your energy back. The rest of the team is going to come see you in the morning."

Reid nodded and closed his eyes, sleep already taking control. "I love you, Derek," he murmured.

"I love you too, Spencer," Morgan replied as Reid fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Morgan woke up in the morning feeling extremely stiff and sore; those hospital chairs were definitely not very comfortable. Reid was still sound asleep, a peaceful expression on his face.<p>

Morgan didn't look away from Reid until he heard a knock on the door. He looked up to see both Hotch and Rossi standing there, watching him. "How is he?" Hotch asked.

"Much better," Morgan replied. "He still can't talk that well 'cause his throat is so sore, and he was exhausted, but other than that he's fine." Morgan smiled, looking back down at Reid again. "He woke up yesterday. Not for very long, but he was talking and lucid. He asked how the case went."

Rossi smiled. "Now that's the genius we all know," he said. "Typical Reid."

"Have you been here all night?" Hotch asked.

Morgan nodded. "I couldn't leave him, Hotch," he said earnestly. "Thinking I was going to lose him, I just… I had to stay with him."

Hotch gave him a small smile. "I understand," he said. "It was probably better for him to have you here, too."

Suddenly there was a groan from the bed, and the three agents looked down to see Reid stirring. Morgan smiled. "Hey, pretty boy," he whispered. "You feeling better?"

Reid gave the smallest of nods. "Yeah," he croaked. "My hand doesn't hurt any more." Morgan took Reid's hand, looking at the black lesion that was beginning to fade. "Neither does my head."

"You had a headache?" Morgan gasped.

"The poison was in my brain, Derek," Reid pointed out. "It gave me aphasia. Of course I had a headache."

Rossi chuckled, alerting Reid to his and Hotch's presence for the first time. Reid tried to sit up, but Morgan gently pushed him back down. "Stay lying down," Morgan warned him. "You're still weak."

"I'm not weak," Reid protested, but at Morgan's look he stopped. "Fine."

"Pretty boy, you know I just worry," said Morgan. "I just care about you. I love you."

Reid sighed. "I know, I know." He looked up at Hotch and Rossi. "I'll be back at work as soon as I'm out of hospital," he said.

"I'd try to talk you out of that, but I know that's impossible," Hotch said. "How long do you reckon you'll be in here?"

"It shouldn't be too long," Reid answered. "I just have a really sore throat, but other than that I just need a really good night or two of sleep."

"Is there room for two more in here?" asked a soft voice from the doorway. The four men looked around to see JJ and Prentiss standing there.

"We really should be going anyway," Hotch said. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Reid." Hotch and Rossi left the room, leaving the two new arrivals to move closer to Reid's bed.

"How are you feeling?" JJ asked.

"Fine, actually," said Reid honestly.

"His throat is still really sore," Morgan amended. "But other than that, he's actually telling the truth. He's going to be absolutely fine. He'll be up and about in no time."

"Well I'm glad," said Prentiss, smiling. "I don't think we could survive without you around. Morgan especially."

Morgan chuckled. "You've got that right," he agreed, leaning in and kissing Reid tenderly. Both women smiled again. "What, no comments about how you're going to throw up?" Morgan joked at Prentiss.

Prentiss shook her head. "Not this time," she admitted. "That was just really adorable. It's when you make out that I feel sick. Besides, Reid almost died. You both deserve a little loving."

"Who's getting some loving?" another voice asked, and the others all turned around to see Garcia standing in the doorway holding a bunch of brightly coloured balloons. "Boy wonder!" she exclaimed when she realised that Reid was awake. "Glad to see you up! I thought you'd like these more than flowers," she added, gesturing to the balloons and tying them to the end of Reid's bed.

Reid smiled. "Thanks, Garcia," he said. "It's good to see you too."

As the five of them sat around talking, Garcia turned to look at Morgan. "Can we talk outside?" she whispered to him, so Reid, Prentiss and JJ couldn't hear.

Morgan looked confused, but nodded at Garcia and the two of them stood up. "I'll be right back, Spence," Morgan said when Reid looked at him.

When they'd moved a little way away from the room, Morgan turned to look at Garcia. "What is it?" he asked. "What's happened?"

"Nothing's happened," Garcia assured him. "I was just wondering how _you_ were. I didn't want to ask you in front of Reid, because then he'd start worrying and feel guilty."

"I'm much better now," said Morgan. "I mean, I felt absolutely horrible yesterday, because I thought I was going to lose Spencer. But now that I know he's going to be okay, that I'm not going to lose him… I just feel incredibly, incredibly relieved."

Garcia smiled, but then her expression changed as a thought struck her. "Yesterday, when Reid was worried that he might not make it, he had me record a message for his mother, just in case." Garcia took a deep breath, steeling herself. "He had me record one for you too. He said it would be way too hard for him to stay goodbye to you in person, and he also wanted a backup in case he didn't even get that chance. Do you want to hear it?"

Morgan hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded. "Play it." Garcia pulled out her phone and pressed a few buttons, and the recording Reid had made for Morgan began to play. As Morgan heard it, tears began to fill his eyes again. "He… he wants to spend the rest of his life with me?" Morgan gasped.

"That's what he said," Garcia confirmed. But _I_ at least already knew that. I know that you did too. Have you even _seen_ the way his face lights up every time you enter the room?"

Morgan shook his head. "You would think I would, considering all I see in the room is him, but I don't," he said. "I mean, I knew he loved me. I just didn't realise _how much_ he loved me."

"You're his life now, Morgan," Garcia said. "That message was his way of telling you."

Morgan turned around, looking at Reid laughing at something Prentiss had said through the window. "I'm glad I still get the chance to show him that he's mine."

* * *

><p>True to his own words, Reid was back at work two days later, after a few good nights of sleep. Morgan had insisted Reid stay at his house, and Reid hadn't complained; he knew he would sleep better in Morgan's arms anyway. He had been getting bored sitting around, though; it was good to be back.<p>

Garcia greeted Reid by tackling him as soon as he walked into the bullpen. "I'm so glad you're back, my junior G-man!" she exclaimed, still hugging Reid tightly. "It hasn't been the same around here without you."

"I've missed you too, Garcia," Reid said in a muffled voice. "But could you please let go of me? I can't breathe properly, and considering I had a disease that affected my breathing, that could be a problem.

"Oh, right," said Garcia, letting go of Reid. "Sorry."

Prentiss laughed. "Don't be sorry, beautiful lady," she said. "Reid did miss you, didn't you Reid?"

"Of course I did," Reid agreed. "I missed all of you guys."

"You should've seen how restless he was this morning," said Morgan, putting a hand on Reid's shoulder. "He was itching to get to work."

"Well there's nothing to do at your house," Reid complained.

"Except have sex," Prentiss interjected, causing Reid to blush.

"Now, now, Prentiss," Morgan laughed. "Spence was still tired and weak. That wouldn't have been a good idea."

Reid shuffled uncomfortably, and Prentiss gave the two men a confused look. "He doesn't like being called weak," Morgan explained. "But you are recovering from a deadly virus, Spencer. You don't have all your strength back yet. Normally though, you are most definitely not weak."

Reid smiled, and JJ chose that moment to make an appearance. "You're going to hate me, guys, but we've got a case. BAU room in ten," she said.

Morgan sighed. "Do we at least get to share a hotel room?" he asked JJ.

JJ chuckled. "Yes, but you guys are separated from everyone else this time," she said. "We don't want a repeat of Milwaukee."

The others laughed and followed JJ into the meeting room, where Hotch and Rossi were waiting for them. Reid never thought he'd be so happy to walk into that room, but he had never been as scared of losing his life as he had when he'd been infected by anthrax.

_I'm so glad I survived,_ Reid thought to himself. _And as long as I have Derek, I know I can survive anything._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So there you go guys! What did you think? Love, hate, meh? Please, please review, I'd really love to hear what you think because it lets me know what parts you like, and what I need to improve on!**

**Note from Diamond Cobra: "Eternal's corrupted me. 8 episodes in 2 days. Considering I said I'd never watch criminal minds, ever, that's pretty impressive. And vaguely annoying =3" (I made her watch Criminal Minds! Yay! I told her it would work! :D)**

**Like I said guys this is only a oneshot, but I already have another sequel in the works! The title, which I don't expect to change, is _Reunion_. Keep an eye out for it! **


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